An Awkward Moment
by Flaeus Baril
Summary: Jace Williams and Alyxandra Lawson have a big night planned on the Citadel. Unfortunately, Miranda and Shepard derail those plans pretty quickly. Short one shot from larger plot being set up.


I couldn't believe it. After an admittedly very rocky start, and 15 years of friendship, we were finally crossing that barrier that I had hoped would fall for the past 5 years. Not that I'd ever tell her that. She'd kill me.

And speaking of killing me, there she is. Standing with her back to me in a dress that I had never seen before looking for all the galaxy like a goddess viewing the world and her creations.

I walked up behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist and leaning in, to whisper into her ear, "What's a beautiful girl like you doing in a place like this"

The reaction I got, was definitely not what I was expecting. Instead of Alyx's caring chocolate brown eyes, I found myself frozen by the piercing glare of none other than Miranda. I could feel my life being measured in seconds as I sat there dumbstruck. What the hell was she doing here? We hadn't told anyone what our plans for our first date were, and as far as I knew nothing was happening that would have required Miranda's presence.

"M…Miranda? What are you doing here?" was all I could eventually stammer out after about 15 seconds of absolute terror and disbelief. I had just unintentionally tried to pull a move on _Miranda Lawson!_ Gods, I was dead.

"Waiting for the Commander," was all she responded with, the tone in her voice promising a very slow and agonizing end if I didn't give her next statement a satisfactory answer. "Would you care to explain why you are here?"

I swallowed, unsure if even my talent of bullshitting my way out of anything was going to save me. Neither her nor the Commander knew where Alyx and I were from, and by the gods I wasn't about to tell her what was going on. She was suspicious of enough as it was. Damn Lawson genes, Alyx and Miranda could have been sisters despite the disparity in birth dates.

"I…I" I stammered like a hopeless teenager "I was meeting Alyx here for a date to one of our favorite places on the Citadel. I thought you were her."

Dead silence met that statement. I could practically here her mind switching gears from royally pissed off and willing to kill me slowly, to the cold and calculating Operative that she was known as.

"About that…" she began only to be interrupted by the sweetest voice I had ever heard.

"Jace! What the hell is wrong with you! I told you to meet me…" Alyx trailed off as she realized who I was with. "what's going on?" she asked as she looked back and forth between Miranda and I before settling on me with a questioning look and a nervous glint in her eyes. We'd been careful about being cornered by Miranda to avoid discussing where we were from.

"Mr. Williams here," Miranda answered taking special care to make sure her tone sounded condescending, Bitch. "Was just informing me of your date tonight. He thought that I was you." That last comment alone had Alyx blanching.

"And how did that go over?" she asked with more than a little caution.

"About as well as you'd expect considering that he is still breathing."

I about fainted at that. Now I REALLY wanted off her shit list. It wouldn't be healthy for me to stay there for too long.

Trying to change the subject, Alyx quickly began speaking with Miranda, "so now that we know that Jace is going to be keeping his head, where are you headed Miranda? You're not normally dressed up."

"She would be accompanying me for the evening," came the rather masculine voice of the Commander. Whirling around, Both Alyx and I saw the Commander walking up in a rather smart looking suit. It was a pretty abrupt change compared to the motorcycle jacket and jeans that he usually wore around the Normandy.

I felt my jaw drop as I realized that this was where their relationship had begun to take a definitely turn toward what was remembered by Alyx's family. I had completely forgotten that Miranda and Shepard had been in a brief relationship before his death. It wasn't too difficult; Miranda was almost a polar opposite to Shepard. While he had a very informal style aboard the Normandy and was friendly with almost everyone, she tended to stay in her cabin when not in the CIC and kept a very formal attitude with everyone.

"When did this start?" was all I could think to say.

While Miranda scowled and attempted to make me melt into a pile of steaming refuse, Shepard just laughed. "We're going to give this a shot, pretty similar to you and Ms. … you know Alyx, I don't think I've ever gotten your last name. Same with you Jace."

Now we were both beginning to fidget, especially with Miranda looking at us like we had just said that we were growing second heads. "How did I ever miss that. How did you even end up onboard without me getting that?" she was beginning to look at us suspiciously. "I don't want them now, but tomorrow morning, each of you are going to have a long…chat," as she said that I felt a sinking in my gut at the emphasis placed on that last word. It felt like a sentence of execution. And it wouldn't be a quick one either.


End file.
